Monday, December 15, 2008
Remember The Forgotten
I have a special place in my heart for the russian orphans I saw in a Diane Sawyer show a long long time ago. I walked awat from that show a changed person. I read everything I could find on the subject and tried to watch more documentaries on the matter. The effects of communism on the Russian people are long lasting and far reaching...there are so many unwanted and rejected children there. The orphanages are filled and are very poor. The staff cannot adequately care for the children. They suffer alone and are often turned out to the streets to find work as prostitutes and comfort in drugs when they are never adopted out....the thought of all those little faces, those dear sweet little arms that so desperately need to hold onto someone and know that they are loved. I can't imagine the fear and the lonliness and the feeling of being so unlovable. I t sickens me that we live in a world where we waste so much money and so much time on nonsense when there are so many children that DESERVE to be loved!!!
Anyhow I found this Christmas story over at domestic church.com and I thought I'd share it. Here it is...
"For Always" - A Russian Christmas Story.
by Will Fish
presumed to be public domain
In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:
It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear for the first time the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.
Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel (cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia) were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.
The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat--he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger.
Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at his completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately--until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.
Then Misha started to ad lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay.
Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift.
So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?"
And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me."
"So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always."
As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. Then little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him--FOR ALWAYS.
Anyhow I found this Christmas story over at domestic church.com and I thought I'd share it. Here it is...
"For Always" - A Russian Christmas Story.
by Will Fish
presumed to be public domain
In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:
It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear for the first time the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.
Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel (cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia) were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.
The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat--he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger.
Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at his completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately--until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.
Then Misha started to ad lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay.
Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift.
So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?"
And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me."
"So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always."
As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. Then little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him--FOR ALWAYS.
And here's some stats...
“On the state of the children in the Russian Federation”, 20034 million Russian children were born out of wedlock in the last 10 years. 400,000 illegitimate children were born in 2002, a 40 thousand annual increase.
Committee on the Rights of The Child in Ukraine, 2002Children in orphanages lack food, medical care, and suitable facilities. Mortality in orphanages is dramatically high. They have been called "death houses". At the beginning of 2000 it was determined that the financial situation of institutions for children with special needs had worsened and most of these children would be denied education.
The CoMission for Children at Risk, 2002About 15,000 Russian orphans leave orphanages each year, once they are 16 to 18 years old. Of these, 5,000 are unemployed, some 6,000 are homeless, around 3,000 resort to crime, approximately 1,500 commit suicide, and roughly half the girls are forced into prostitution.
The CoMission for Children at Risk, 2002About 15,000 Russian orphans leave orphanages each year, once they are 16 to 18 years old. Of these, 5,000 are unemployed, some 6,000 are homeless, around 3,000 resort to crime, approximately 1,500 commit suicide, and roughly half the girls are forced into prostitution.
Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, 2000After leaving their orphanages:
50% - fall into a high-risk category
40% - become drug users
40% - commit crimes
10% - commit suicide
50% - fall into a high-risk category
40% - become drug users
40% - commit crimes
10% - commit suicide
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The world needs MORE images like this
found this at an unusual blog (not one I frequent) but I had been doing a search on MAry's maternity and Mary nursing the Christ child and I found this...
An unusual statuette of Mary breastfeeding the baby Jesus shocked some with its nudity, but inspired the faith of others, including Atlanta writer Trudie Barreras. She submitted the photo above and the following story about this “marvelously sensitive and realistic perspective of the mother of Jesus.” The Jesus in Love Blog is sharing Barreras’ moving and important materials here because we support art that seeks to embody spirituality.
OUR LADY OF TRAVELS TO LIFE WITH REALITYBy Trudie BarrerasMy husband Ray and I made a trip to Monterrey, Mexico in December of 2001, traveling by bus because we were disgusted with all the “security frenzy” that had gripped air travel in the aftermath of 9/11. The trip, even though via “express” buses, was a grueling 26 hours, and we arrived at our destination, the MCC church in Monterrey, quite worn out.Shortly thereafter, I discovered a little statuette of Mary riding donkey-back and nursing the infant Jesus. This statue was in a “Christmas market” that specialized in figurines for the Nativity scenes that are very much a part of the Mexican culture. Most of the other figures were much more “traditional.” Indeed, this one was completely unique, representing a “perspective” I’d never seen before. Gazing at the face of the Mother, I was gripped by the thought: “This is Reality.” I reflected on my own extreme exhaustion after a 26-hour trip in a relatively comfortable bus, and wondered how a woman could have carried a nursing infant all the way from Israel to Egypt.I felt it was very important to obtain this statuette, and bring her back to Atlanta to share with the various spiritual communities of which I am a part, including First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta and the Excel retreat ministry in which I participate. I christened her “Our Lady of Travels to Life with Reality,”or, in Spanish, “Nuestra Señora de los Viajes á la Vida con Realidad.” I believe that others who meditate on the meaning portrayed by this representation may experience some of the same thoughts that have come to me. There is, of course, much more to this story, and anyone who wants to dialog with me about it is welcome to contact me by e-mail at: tbarreras@bellsouth.net.Sadly, when I attempted to share “Our Lady of Travels” with my own community at First MCC of Atlanta by placing the statue in our small meditation chapel, someone was apparently offended by the breast-feeding, and fashioned a “poncho” for her out of Kleenex! My pastor regretfully suggested that I should probably take her home. Fortunately, most of the other venues to which I have brought this marvelously sensitive and realistic perspective of the mother of Jesus seem to have responded with a sense of blessing and not of shock.
Posted by KittKatt at 2:05 PM
Labels: art, censorship, Jesus, Madonna, Mexico, naked, spirituality, travel, women's spirituality
1 comments:
Yvonne said...
Er, well obviously Mary would have breastfed Jesus.The style's a bit kitschy, but I think Mary should be celebrated as a real woman.MCC people shocked by breastfeeding? Oh please! Is there no refuge for sanity in the Christian community???
2:15 PM
Post a Comment
window.google_render_ad();
Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
OUR LADY OF TRAVELS TO LIFE WITH REALITYBy Trudie BarrerasMy husband Ray and I made a trip to Monterrey, Mexico in December of 2001, traveling by bus because we were disgusted with all the “security frenzy” that had gripped air travel in the aftermath of 9/11. The trip, even though via “express” buses, was a grueling 26 hours, and we arrived at our destination, the MCC church in Monterrey, quite worn out.Shortly thereafter, I discovered a little statuette of Mary riding donkey-back and nursing the infant Jesus. This statue was in a “Christmas market” that specialized in figurines for the Nativity scenes that are very much a part of the Mexican culture. Most of the other figures were much more “traditional.” Indeed, this one was completely unique, representing a “perspective” I’d never seen before. Gazing at the face of the Mother, I was gripped by the thought: “This is Reality.” I reflected on my own extreme exhaustion after a 26-hour trip in a relatively comfortable bus, and wondered how a woman could have carried a nursing infant all the way from Israel to Egypt.I felt it was very important to obtain this statuette, and bring her back to Atlanta to share with the various spiritual communities of which I am a part, including First Metropolitan Community Church of Atlanta and the Excel retreat ministry in which I participate. I christened her “Our Lady of Travels to Life with Reality,”or, in Spanish, “Nuestra Señora de los Viajes á la Vida con Realidad.” I believe that others who meditate on the meaning portrayed by this representation may experience some of the same thoughts that have come to me. There is, of course, much more to this story, and anyone who wants to dialog with me about it is welcome to contact me by e-mail at: tbarreras@bellsouth.net.Sadly, when I attempted to share “Our Lady of Travels” with my own community at First MCC of Atlanta by placing the statue in our small meditation chapel, someone was apparently offended by the breast-feeding, and fashioned a “poncho” for her out of Kleenex! My pastor regretfully suggested that I should probably take her home. Fortunately, most of the other venues to which I have brought this marvelously sensitive and realistic perspective of the mother of Jesus seem to have responded with a sense of blessing and not of shock.
Posted by KittKatt at 2:05 PM
Labels: art, censorship, Jesus, Madonna, Mexico, naked, spirituality, travel, women's spirituality
1 comments:
Yvonne said...
Er, well obviously Mary would have breastfed Jesus.The style's a bit kitschy, but I think Mary should be celebrated as a real woman.MCC people shocked by breastfeeding? Oh please! Is there no refuge for sanity in the Christian community???
2:15 PM
Post a Comment
window.google_render_ad();
Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Anti-Abortion / Pro-life Short Film (Third Born)
one of the most cretive and forward thinking videos I've seen... THIS is the kind of pro-life material we need to develope and get out there...
Friday, December 5, 2008
A BABY Changes Everything
I think we most definitely take for granted the significance of our GOD coming to us as a BABY! We just gloss over it as if that is to be expected. It is a radical radical thing and we should stop and reflect on this often. I love Christmas. I think most people do. Why is that? It's not really the presents or the food or the parties. If we reflect on it - even non-believers too - we can admit that there is something mysterious and other-worldly about this time of year and this celebration. There is something deep inside the human heart that yearns for this kind of purity and joy that only Christmas provides. Why is that? The Incarnation is the most awesome statement of the dignity and the holiness of man - the human person. God came down and was one of us. But not only that but He came down and chose to be small, very small, almost invisible inside the womb of His mother. He chose to live there and to grow there and to stay hidden just like us. He was fragile and helpless and silently swimming in the holy waters within a WOMAN. He was not a man or a warrior or a king but a baby, a baby. What does this say to us about the dignity of motherhood? About the holiness of pregnancy and the unborn? What does this tell us about the power of one tiny human person unseen and unheard living at the mercy of his mother and her willingness to guard and protect and to nurture the life within her? The Incarnation says so much. The Incarnation says everything we need to know about the LOVE God has for His creatures, His children. He loves us and He wants us to reverence the mystery of every new creation, not to fear it. He wants us to see how IMPORTANT this mystery is! He wants us to know that a baby changes everything. A BABY changes the world. He gave this gift to all of us - the gift of Himself. But we must not cut off God's choice to come into this world as a baby from the deep meaning this choice holds. God can choose anything, He can do anything or manifest Himself any way He wishes. He chose this way - Why? It matters. It is the mystery that makes Christmas so magical and filled with wonder. This is the reason we all celebrate even if we aren't believers per se - the Incarnation itself brings forth JOY to the World whether the world takes notice or not. Oh the holiness and joy that was the maternity of our Blessed Mother! The sacred hiddeness of the unborn baby Jesus - GOD hidden inside a woman, inside her womb! The master of all creation the God beyond time and beyond this universe the endless everything the all and total the One who is all power and all truth and all goodness and all light and all love - just a tiny little one...
A Baby Changes Everything - I just heard this song on the radio. check out the youtube video in thie other post... I loved the dual meaning. It triggers a lot of emotion in me. I think it is so beautiful how the presence of a baby and his effect on his mother is hidden in these lyrics but more importantly the pointing to the awesome CHANGE the incarnation of Jesus held not only for His mother but for the WORLD for all eternity!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
The beginnings of this year's Christmas card...
Getting the kids together to take some photos seems to always goes something like this:
"Get over here, get over here, get ooooooooooover heeeeeeeeeeeere!" Sit down, sit down, d
amn it all of you sit down!" "Do you want Santa to bring you gifts for Christmas? - yes - then sit your butts down and smile! Smile I said not look goofy. Stop it! Stop touching her! No no no don't close your eyes. Get back over here. Just sit down and....Can't you people just sit your asses down for two seconds and take one nice picture for our Christmas cards!!! For goodness sakes you'd think I was asking you all to cut off your right arm!" Now everybody just look up here and smile! Smile damn it smile!!!
amn it all of you sit down!" "Do you want Santa to bring you gifts for Christmas? - yes - then sit your butts down and smile! Smile I said not look goofy. Stop it! Stop touching her! No no no don't close your eyes. Get back over here. Just sit down and....Can't you people just sit your asses down for two seconds and take one nice picture for our Christmas cards!!! For goodness sakes you'd think I was asking you all to cut off your right arm!" Now everybody just look up here and smile! Smile damn it smile!!! Okay everybody say "Merry Christmas"
Oh the irony!! Thank goodness this wasn't recorded on video. Or maybe on second thought that would have been nice to have...for a good laugh down the road! Every year those Christmas cards I send out are a heck of a lot more trouble to pull off than anyone realizes...
We have FUN though don't we? I love my kiddos!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)